Education in Yarphei
Yarphese Education is one of the most intensive in the world, and is compulsory from primary school through upper secondary school, and a bachelor's degree is also required by law, with few exceptions. Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper secondary and university levels. Yarphei's education system played a central part in its recovery and rapid economic growth since formation. The Yarphese education system was enacted by Trầng Chúp Long. It clearly defined five years of primary school, three years of lower secondary school, three years of upper primary school, and four years to get a bachelor's degree. There are several private daycare centres for children of age two to five all over Yarphei, although they are not required in the Yarphese education system. The educational approach at these centres varies greatly from unstructured environments that emphasize play to highly structured environments that are focused on having the child pass the entrance exam at a private primary school. Sutructure The school year begins in March and classes are all week except on Uposatha days (Buddhist holy days), usually nine hours a day. There are three terms, seperated by one-week breaks in July, March, and November, between the first two Uposatha days. Additional holidays are Singapore Day, Independence Day, Yarphese New Year, and Trầng Chúp Long's birthday. During years that contain a blue moon and/or leap years, Rice Day and/or the day after the blue moon are considered holidays to ensure all school years have 313 days. The school year officially begins after the November break. Below is a summary of the common year shedule. Pink rows indicate compulsory education. Primary Shool Primary school begins from four to five years of age, forming a cutoff. Primary school is generally uniform for all ages, and it is highly accelerated. Subjects taught are the regional language, linguistics (and Vietnamese), history, geography, science, mathematics, music, and physical education. From primary grade 1, students are expected to learn to pronounce all Yarphese languages to an extent (Yarphese, Vietnamese, Thai, Khmer, Malay, English), as well as other nearby languages (Tagalog, Burmese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Xan Xuac, Lao, Indonesian). French and Vietnamese are the principal languages of study. World history and science are taught mostly similar to other countries, but are more accelerated. Yarphese history is also taught, but as many primary school students are aware that the "official" history contradicts what they actually experienced, the short Yarphese history is only briefed. Geography is an important part of Yarphese education, especially Southeast Asian geography. Mathematics is highly accelerated so that students are proficient in algebra by the end of primary school. Music is confined mostly to theory in the first three years, but students are put on an instrument of their choice by grade 4. Physical education is varied between health and hygenic education to common sports, with concentration on the three official Yarphese sports of basketball, soccer, and swimming. Public elementary schools usually contain from 200 to 1,200 students, depending on the district. Urban schools tend to have larger enrollments. Lower Secondary School Unlike primary school, the purpose of secondary school is to bring out the talents of each individual student, rather than putting all students through the same curriculum. Subjects taught include mathematics, history, geography, psychology, the sciences, literature, physical education, visual arts, and the performing arts. Most schools have five periods in a day, with all classes except Advisement on alternating days. Students who show excellency in any one of the subjects may be sent to a magnet school. There are two magnet schools in every province, one of which is a boarding school. Courses are considered much more advanced than in elementary school. In math, students are prepared to take calculus by upper secondary school. Other subjects are basically continuations of primary school. Linguistic and language studies are replaced by literature classes, in which Vietnamese literature and that translated from French to Vietnamese is examined. Physical education may be taken to be focused on a specific sport. All other classes come in three tracts per grade: normal (bìntường or BR), advanced (tıêntıến or TT), and discreet (kínđáo or KÐ). Secondary schools contain up to 2,000 students, depending on the district. Upper Secondary School The purpose of upper secondary school is to prepare students for higher education. Classes are narrowed down to literature, mathematics, earth and life science, physical science, history, world language and physical education. Classes are mostly elective, but there are usually graduations requirements, which vary by school. In high school, classes grow more intense, and in addition, every school in Yarphei has a designated magnet program, a combination of a subject and a profession. For example, a school might be a medical magnet school with focus on history, for students who excel in history and aspire to enter the field of medicine. It is a common rule in Yarphei that history teachers in upper secondary school must be VLA members in order to be licenced to teach. Higher Education Higher education has diversified greatly in the past decade. The Yarphese government mandated higher education in 2002, but the process has remained largely the same. Large universities such as the University of Singapore are largely prestigious, and those who apply and fail to get accepted into any university are forced to join public college. Some schools are patterned after upper secondary school in order to place those who wish to go to university, but were not accepted, into the appropriate higher education. In order to make sure there is enough room for aspiring students, universities continue to be built to this day. School System Schools in Yarphei are split into two categories: public and private schools. Public Schooling Public schools are split by several factors. The first is language group. Languages of instruction include English, Malay, Tamil, Burmese, Chinese (any dialect), Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese. The second factor is the administrative division, which forms a council. Within both a language group and a council, there are several districts. Districts have the responsibility to supply education and schools for people in their district. Because language groups vary, districts always overlap. For example, someone in one area may have to go to any of different districts depending on their language, and these districts do not overlap at all. Public school adheres strictly to the Yarphese system. Districts are mostly run by VLA members to ensure this happens. All pupils are required to wear uniforms, which are based off the Yarphese military uniform. Most public schools also require state-sponsored Buddhist prayer. Private Schooling Private schooling is much rarer, and it is an opportunity for parents who wish their schools to hold different values than public schools, not because the schools offer better education. The schools are allowed total freedom, as long as they follow certain guidelines, such as teaching the "official" history, discouraging anti-VLA sentiment, following the public grade system, making the children sing the Yarphese Pledge every morning, and other similar guidelines. Mandatory state-ordered QYTT tests are distributed to those in private school after each term. Homeschooling Homeschooling was banned in 2002 because it was believed that it would be too hard to keep track of students if they were homeschooled. Grading System Grading is in a percentile system from 1 to 9. One is equivalent to a percentage of 87.5-100, two is 75-87.5, etc. Scores in the upper half receive an added 1/2 to their score. Thus, 11/2 is the highest score normally attainable. Schools will also offer grades such as 1/5, but only after 1. Students who receive a grade average of 1/4 during a term may be allowed to advance three terms (one year) ahead, although this is nearly impossible in public schools. A score of 41/2 is required to pass, 3 is considered adequate, 2 is considered good, and 1 is considered excellent. Students are generally expected to get a score of 2 or higher. Grade point averages are composed of an average of the students' scores, but decimalized. For example, an overall percentage grade of 88 will yield 0.96, not 1. Standardized Testing All students are distributed a standardized Quốcya Yáoyục y Tıếnđộ Tı (QYTT), National Education and Progress Test. The test includes all appropriate subjects for a grade level, each with its own section, and an additional writing prompt. It is completely standardized within each language group. Admission to university is through the Hạng Ba Tữ Nghıệm (3TN), tertiary selection, although it is not really selection because everyone is required to take it. The test is composed of three subjects: reading comprehension, social science, and mathematics. One may also include different subjects in their score, if applying for a specific type of university. Lower scorers are often forced to attend community colleges. Vietnamese Liberation Teachers of History The Vietnamese Liberation Teachers of History (VLTH) is a small branch of the Vietnamese Liberation Army. It is a temporary branch, meaning that those in this branch may have a more permanent place in the Air Force, Navy, or Ground Force. It is a general law in Yarphei that to teach history at a public school, it is required that the teacher has served in the Vietnamese Liberation Army. According to the VLA, this is in order to ensure that history is taught by someone familiar with it, as there are history requirements to become a VLA member. However, the generally accepted reason is to ensure that Yarphese children are ingrained with a tinted view of history, taught by someone who has pledged to the same tinted view. To enter the branch, extensive history tests are required. The current head is Ðın Mạn Khoaı. Category:Culture Category:Yarphei